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Forum Offseason Media Thread

Quarterback:
New GM Reggie McKenzie reportedly considered letting go of QB Carson Palmer and attempting to resign the much cheaper Jason Campbell, but was dissuaded by others in the Raiders organization. So, Palmer will remain the started headed into 2012. Terrell Pryor, selected in the 3rd round of the supplemental draft last offseason, will also remain on the roster and will battle free agent pickup Vince Young for the job. Young signed a low end deal with no guaranteed money, so it's possible that he may be released if he loses the battle for the backup job in training camp.

Running Back:
Most notably, the Raiders traded oft-injured but talented RB Darren McFadden to the division rival Denver Broncos for a first round pick. Al Davis may not have approved of the move, but this was a clear sign that this is McKenzie's team now. The move picked up a first round pick for the Raiders who were lacking their own as a result of the Carson Palmer trade. After the trade, the Raiders resigned their own free agent in RB Michael Bush. Bush is a big bruising back who will be the primary ball carrier to pair with lightning quick 2nd year player Taiwan Jones. The Raiders weren't done however and also picked up shifty 3rd down back Mewelde Moore, formerly of the Steelers. Moore would be the best pass catching and pass blocking back on the roster and will likely see duty in passing situations. Fullbacks Marcel Reese and Manase Tonga remain on the roster as well.

Wide Receiver:
This is a position of immense talent and youth for the Raiders. There is plenty of speed to be had between DHB, Jacoby Ford, Denarius Moore and Louis Murphy. Derrick Jones rounds out the group as a 5th WR. The team did not make any additions or subtractions here.

Tight End:
The well rounded Kevin Boss remains the clear starter at the position, backed up by Brandon Myers, David Ausberry, and Richard Gordon. The team did not make any signings or releases here either.

Offensive Line:
The team made resigning center Samson Satele one its top priorities and he returns to the team in that position. That keeps the left 3/5 of the line stable with Jared Veldheer at LT and Stefan Wisniewski at LG. Incumbent RG Cooper Carlisle will battle with athletic youngster Bruce Campbell and the recently signed veteran Jacob Bell for the starting RG spot. Joseph Barksdale remains the starter for now at RT while the team brought in veteran Guy Whimper from the Jaguars as a backup swing tackle option.

Defensive End:
This remains an area of need for the Raiders, as Matt Shaughessy was the only true 4-3 DE already on on the roster. Lamarr Houston would be best served moving inside to DT. The team did add former Buc William Hayes for depth at the position.

Defensive Tackle:
As previously stated, the team would like to move Lamarr Houston into the DT spot to rotate with Richard Seymour and Tommie Kelly. Desmond Bryant is another backup already on the roster. The team also added former Bengal Jonathan Fanene and Marcus Thomas, who played under new head coach Dennis Allen in Denver. They will provide depth to the position as well.

Linebacker:
Despite his hefty prince tag, LB Aaron Curry has remained on the roster and figures to start on the weakside. Rolando McClain remains at MLB for now, though his legal issues may become a problem down the line. The team signed former Bronco Joe Mays as a backup at the MLB position just in case. Mays played under Allen in Denver and is familiar with the scheme. Kamerion Wimbley remains the starter at the SAM position. The team also brought in former Buc Geno Hayes who has a good deal of starting experience. He can backup any of the positions in a pinch.

Corner:
With the release of Stanford Routt early in the offseason, the Raiders were left with very little at the position. Youngsters DeMarcus Van Dyke, Chimdi Chekwa and Bryan McCann return to the roster, as do new additions Shawntae Spencer and Kelly Jennings, two experienced veterans. The best corner currently on the roster is likely Jason Allen, who had a career year in Houston last season. There figures to be a wide open competition during training camp between these players to determine the final pecking order.

Safety:Tyvon Branch was allowed to walk and eventually signed with the Redskins. That leaves Michael Huff the starter at FS and Marvin Mitchell at SS with Jerome Boyd in a backup role. The team also added former Raven Haruki Nakamura to bolster the position. He may challenge Mitchell for the starting SS job.

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The bulk of free agency has come and gone and New England moves into the 2012 NFL Draft with two selections in the first round, two in the second round, one in the third round, one in the fourth round, one in the fifth round, and two in the sixth round, meaning that the AFC Champions are poised to load their roster with talent for another shot at a Lombardi Trophy. So how did the free agent period go for the Patriots? Read on for a position-by-position overview of the Patriots' free agent moves.

Quarterback

Brian Hoyer was traded to Denver yesterday to challenge incumbent starter Tim Tebow for a modest price after the Patriots' negotiations with Washington fell through. Head coach Bill Belichick was reportedly dissatisfied with the lethargy of Washington's front office to pull the trigger on a trade; the Redskins will enter the 2012 NFL Draft with the 34 year-old David Garrard as their starting quarterback coming off of a back surgery which prevented him from playing in 2011. Adding a third quarterback in the draft is a potential option for the Patriots, although Bill Belichick may feel comfortable with just two quarterbacks and a practice squad option; Mike Hartline is a possibility after being waived by the team during roster cutdowns.

Running back is a position which will likely see relatively little turnover from 2011 to 2012. Free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis opted to take a hometown discount in order to return to New England, where he will join Danny Woodhead, Stevan Ridley, and Shane Vereen in the backfield. The only absences will be fullback Lousaka Polite, who was released this offseason but will likely find himself on the team's emergency list, and long-time fan favorite Kevin Faulk, who was drafted by New England in 1999 and spent his entire career with the club; however, Faulk attempted to return from a torn ACL in 2011 at the age of 35 and found his role snatched away by Woodhead.

The most intriguing inclusion in New England is undoubtedly wide receiver Randy Moss, who returns after an extended absence at 35 years old to try and provide the Patriots with the deep threat they have lacked since his departure in the middle of the 2010 season. Whether Moss can still produce in the NFL after floundering in both Minnesota and Tennessee and spending the 2011 season in retirement remains to be seen, but his prior success in the organization and freakish fluidity and coordination make him a worthwhile low-cost investment. Moss joins Wes Welker as the team's two primary targets; Welker was slapped with the franchise tag. Deion Branch re-signed with the organization, but appeared to slow down in 2011 and may be headed for a reduced role in 2012. Brandon Lloyd and Matthew Slater were also pursued by the Patriots, but ended up joining defensive end Andre Carter in Jacksonville, who paid all three players above market value in order to procure their signatures. Wide receivers Britt Davis, Chad Ochocinco, and Tiquan Underwood were all cut from the team and remain available in free agency.

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, both 2010 NFL Draft picks, form the most dangerous duo of tight ends in the NFL. They will be a focus of the team's offensive strategy, while tight end Garrett Mills opted to return to New England on a contract for the veteran minimum after spending some of the 2011 season on the Patriots' practice squad. He is expected to to be the top reserve at H-Back behind Aaron Hernandez.

Mark LeVoir is another former Patriot who will be returning to Foxboro on a low-cost deal, replacing Matt Light as one of the team's four offensive tackles alongside Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, and Marcus Cannon. LeVoir was trimmed during roster cutdowns last season, but his versatility and experience in the system make him a logical fit for roster depth; he spent last season playing for Josh McDaniels in St. Louis. The offensive line will have to adapt to the departures of Light, center Dan Koppen, and fourth guard Donald Thomas, but overall the unit should be just as productive as they were in 2011, if not moreso. Getting younger and more athletic appeared to be a priority in the trenches. Matt Kopa and Nick McDonald remain free agents.

Making upgrades along the defensive line was a point of emphasis for the Patriots during the offseason; Bill Belichick was forced to incorporate a variety of different defensive fronts in order to mask the team's deficiencies in 2011. The Patriots signed Kendall Langford from Miami and Marcus Spears from Dallas, two five-techniques with experience playing for Bill Parcells who are projected to start in New England's odd fronts. Mark Anderson opted to re-sign with New England and reprise his role as a pass-rush specialist. Defensive ends Andre Carter, Shaun Ellis, and Eric Moore all entered free agency; Moore remains available, while Ellis signed with the Detroit Lions for the veteran minimum. Florida products Jermaine Cunningham and Justin Trattou were cut, although Trattou remains a candidate to return to New England's practice squad after being acquired from the New York Giants for defensive end and sexy Rutgers man-beast Alex Silvestro. Gerard Warren, another Gator alum, returns on a deal for the veteran minimum to provide depth.

Last offseason, the Patriots were linked to both Manny Lawson and Matt Roth but failed to land either player. Both figure into New England's plans in 2012 after signing mid-level deals with the team. Roth is a similar player to Rob Ninkovich and is projected to play both defensive end and left outside linebacker, the team's ÔÇ£elephantÔÇØ position. He has extensive experience playing for Josh McDaniels and very appealing size at 6'4ÔÇØ and 275 pounds. Lawson is 6'5ÔÇØ and 250 pounds and figures to play outside linebacker in both the 3-4 and 4-3; he is most noteworthy for his run defense, coverage ability, and athleticism, but is limited as a pass rusher. Tracy White was brought back in order to lead New England's special teams, while Gary Guyton, Christian Cox, Aaron Lavarias, and Mike Rivera all left town. Cox and Lavarias are both practice squad candidates.

The defensive backfield was a position of weakness in 2011, but with the signing of Michael Griffin, the Patriots are hoping that the secondary has been stabilized for years to come. Ras-I Dowling returns from injury to compliment Devin McCourty as the team's two starting cornerbacks, and the Patriots signed Chris Carr and re-signed Antwaun Molden to low-level deals in order to provide depth on the outside. Kyle Arrington and Sterling Moore are the team's two nickel cornerbacks. Patrick Chung will start at strong safety, with Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett providing the team's depth at the back end. James Ihedigbo, Bret Lockett, Nathan Jones, Ross Ventrone, and Malcolm Williams all left town. Williams is a practice squad candidate, while Ross Ventrone is a mortal lock to be signed and released at least fifteen times in 2012.

The Patriots did not make any moves at kicker, punter, or long snapper, but lost special teams contributors James Ihedigbo, Matthew Slater, and Malcolm Williams. Chris Carr has experience returning punts, and Antwaun Molden is another potential returner who contributes on coverage units. Tracy White was brought back as one of the team's special teams captains.

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OLB Aaron Maybin - Mid - (RFA 2nd Round Tender - NY Jets) - Maybin was a huge bust in Buffalo before breaking out as a situational pass rusher in NY last season. Without a pass rusher to take advantage of the attention Clay Matthews could draw, the Packers defense dropped to one of the worst in the league last season. They feel that Maybin may be able to fill that role and are willing to part with a 2nd round pick to make it happen. The Jets will have 24 hours from this posting to match the deal (if they can.)

TE Visanthe Shiancoe - Low - After trading franchised TE Jermichael Finley to Buffalo, the Packers were suddenly thin at the position. Shiancoe doesn't have the raw athleticism of Finlsey but is a consistent, solid-all-around TE who will provide some consistency at the position.

QB Dennis Dixon - Low - Dixon received a few offers to be the backup QB during the 2nd round of free agency, but opted to go to the Packers with the money being equal. Rodgers has missed a game or two each of the previous seasons and the Packers have a track record spanning the last two decades of developing their backup QBs into starters elsewhere effectively.

**UPDATE** - It has been pointed out to me that in order to tender an RFA with draft pick compensation, the team must have their original pick in that round. Since the Packers traded their original 2nd round pick to Buffalo in the Jermichael Finley trade, their offer to Aaron Maybin is null and void. He will remain a tendered free agent of the Jets.